Shane Ryan has made history at the European Aquatics Championships in Belgrade by establishing a fresh Irish record in the 50m freestyle, thus cementing his place in the semi-final. The 30-year-old Irish swimmer beat the previous 50m long course record (50m pool) of his compatriot Tom Fannon by .12 seconds, clocking in at 21.82 and becoming Ireland’s fastest swimmer ever. Ryan, shocked by his own performance, aims to repeat this feat in the following semi-final round, scheduled for 5:58 PM (Irish Standard Time) on Saturday.
Additionally, Calum Bain of Ireland triumphed in his 50m freestyle heat, clinching a semi-final berth with a completion time of 22.11, notwithstanding some issues with his swimwear. Bain looks forward to the challenge later on the day, hinting at his quickest morning swim ever.
However, another Irish contender, Oisin Tebite was eliminated in the same event, failing to make the cut with a time of 23.58.
On the backstroke front, Conor Ferguson managed to secure a place in the semi-final of the 100m backstroke, coming in sixth place with a time of 54.74. Meanwhile, the Irish will hold high hopes for Danielle Hill, the gold medallist earlier in the week, competing in the 100m backstroke final. She will be joined by Lottie Cullen who is set to participate in her first individual senior final. This promises a thrilling evening for Irish supporters.
Nathan Wiffen, competing in the 1500m freestyle, and Ellie McCartney, in the 200m medley, have returned to the starting blocks for their final races. This marks their second appearance in the finals at the European meeting.